Production of hosiery



June 1 1937. E. EISSNER PRODUCTION OF HOSIERY Filed Sept. 20, 1935 Patented June 1, 1937 UNiTED STATES rnonvc'rron or nosinnr Erich Eissner, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor to Karl Lieberknecht G. In. b. 1-1., Oberlungwltz,

, Saxony, Germany Application September 20, 1935, Serial No.

In Germany October 6, 1934 v v 1 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of producing tubular hosiery having a heel better adapted to the form of the human heel than a pouch heel on circular knitting machines.

The invention attains its object by providing a method according to which after the formation of a heel portion having uniform width a narrower heel portion having the same width throughout is produced whose border loops are subsequently united with the free portions of the last course of the broader heel portion, the border loops of which are then united with the free portions of the first course of the tubular foot part.

The application of this method insures an accumulation of material at the point where the human heel requires it while the goods are still on the machine and without any distortion of meshes. g

The edges of the heel portions are preferably united by looping. and the hosiery produced on the machine up to the toe is therefore removed from the machine and the portions to be united are then transferred to a looping machine. To facilitate looping the free portions of the broader heel portion or of the tubular foot part, which are disposed in front of and behind the narrower heel part, are provided, according to the invention. with auxiliaryv pieces consisting of courses of inferior material to be removed after the transfer.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which discloses the main phases of the method and in which Figure 1 shows a part each of a legend a foot portion connected therewith and a heel portion provided between these two members and. further, two auxiliary pieceszarranged at both long sides thereof and prior to being cut. the entire 40 view being in perspective: Fig. 2 shows the parts represented in Fig. 1, but with the-auxiliary pieces out; and Fig. 3 is a view of a finished sock made according to the invention.

The manner of operation according to the new method is as follows: The leg 5 is worked in known manner on a circular knitting machine down to its end by causing the needle cylinder to I carry out full revolutions. After completion o the leg i a part of the! needles having worked loops hanging thereon. Work is then continued with the needles that have remained in oprative position and with the thread guide used for the leg. The needle cylinder carries out an oscillating motion, and gradually a narrow piece is the leg are rendered inoperative but retain the thus produced which constitutes the broad heel portion 2 and which, owing to the oscillating motion of the needle cylinder, is provided on its lateral edges with regular border loops.

After completion. of the broad heel portion 2 some of the needles having worked it are also. renderedinoperative on both sides. i. e., those that carry the portions 2', 2". and also retain the loops last formed and still hanging thereon. 'I'heneedle cylinder continues to carry out an oscillating motion, and with the same thread guide that has worked the leg I and the portion 2 the still narrower portion '3 is now knit.

When the last course of the portion 3 is completed. the thread guide is stopped like the needles on which the portion '3 is disposed, whilst the needles carrying the courses 2', 2" are started. To the courses 2', 2", by means of a special thread guide for each of them. auxiliary courses 8, 8 are worked, the number of these courses being preferably less than that of the courses in the narrowest portion 3.

After completion of the auxiliary courses 6. 6' the two special thread guides having worked them are rendered inoperative again, and the non-operative thread guide that has worked the narrowest portion 8 is started again together with. all needles oi the cylinder. While the cylinder rotates the foot 5 is worked to the end in known manner and then thrown oil.

The auxiliary courses 3' positioned between the last courses 2, 2" of the portion 2 and the first courses 5'. 5" of the foot 5 are then cut, whereby the fabric shown in Fig. 2 is produced.

Then the border wale 3 with the course 2 nd the border Wale 8" with the course 2" are transferred to the needles of a looping machine and connected by placing each loop on a needle. To facilitate this transfer the auxiliary courses 6. i are provided which are afterwards removed.

e next step consists in transferrin a border wale of the portion 2 with the course 5' and .the oher border wale of the portion 2 with the course 5" to a looping mach ne and regularly joining them. The auxiliary courses i, i serve a ain to facilitate this operation and are removed later on.

The toe of the stocking is looped in known mannerand need not be described in detail.

Instead oi working after completion of the portion 2 the portion 3 and then the auxiliary courses d, 5', as described above, it is also possible to produce first the courses Q, d and then the portion 8, or the portion 3 as well'as the as I 2 I auxiliary courses I. 4' may be simultaneously worked with three thread guides. Finally, the auxiliary courses 4, 4' may be omitted entirely,

which, however, is not advisable, as good and accurate transfer of the courses at the end of portion 2 and at the beginning of the foot is prevented thereby. The invention includes of course these modifications also.

It is immaterial whether the heel, the high heel'and the foot portions are reinforced, as it is merely necessary to choose the number oi thread guides operating at a time accordingly.

I claim:- I 1. Method of producing tubular-hosiery, conr sisting in knitting the leg by circular knitting,

knitting broad and narrow heel portions by oscillating knitting, knitting the foot portion by circular knitting and then looping the narrow and broad heel portions together and the broad heel portion to the foot portion.

2. Method of producing tubular hosiery. consisting in knitting the leg by circular knitting.

knitting broad and narrow heel portions and auxiliary portions by oscillating knitting, knitting the foot portion by circular knitting, the narrow heel portion and auxiliary courses being integrally joined to the first course of the loot portion. cutting the auxiliary portions and then looping the narrow and broad heel portions together and the 'broad heel portion to the foot narrow heel portion after completion oi same, starting again the second set of needles stopped, knitting auxiliary courses to the broad heel portion by oscillating knitting with two special thread guides, stopping again the two special thread guides and starting the first thread guide, starting all needles and knitting the foot portion by circular knitting, removing the goods from the machine, cutting the auxiliary courses, transferring the last courses oi the broad heel portion with the border wales oi the narrow heel portion to a looping machine and looping them together, removing the auxiliary courses at the last courses of the broad heel portion, transferring the first courses of the foot portion and the border wales oi the broad heel portion to a looping machine and looping them together and removing the auxiliary courses also from the foot portion.

4. Method oi producing tubular hosiery, consisting in knitting the leg by circular knitting, knitting a broad heel portion by oscillating knitting, knitting two auxiliary portions by oscillating knitting, knitting a narrow heel portion between the auxiliary portions, knitting the foot portion by circular knitting, cutting the auxiliary portions, joining the narrow and broad heel portions to the foot portion after transfer to a looping machine and removing the auxiliary portions.

5. Method of producing tubular hosiery, consisting in knitting the leg by circular knitting, knitting a broad heel portion, simultaneously knitting a narrow heel portion and two auxiliary portions on both sides ,of the narrow heel portion with a thread guide for each of them, knitting the foot portion by circular knitting, cutting the auxiliary portions, joining the narrow and broad heel portions to the foot portion after transfer to a looping machine and removing the auxiliary portions.

' ERICK EISSNER. 

